Helpful Score: 2
This is the second book in the Iron Seas series by Brooke. This book is not a continuation of the characters in the first storybut instead follows around the Yasmeen, the captain of the pirate airship the Lady Cosair, and Archimedes Fox, the famous treasure hunter. While I didn't find the story as compelling as the first book, it was still a good story. There wasn't as much world building, there was more focus on intrigue and Yasmeen and Archimedes' relationship instead.
Yasmeen had sent Archimedes plunging to his death, or so she thought. She is on her way to convery her condolences to Archimedes' sister and sell a valuable daVinci print when Archmedes shows up again. Someone attacks Yasmeen's airship leaving her destitute. Now Yasmeen and Archimedes are forced to plunge deep into Horde occupied Morocco to right past wrongs. Will they be able to concentrate on their goal and resist the pull to each other?
I love the steampunk feel to this novel and the politically/technologically complicated world that it is set in. I missed that this book didn't expand of the world but rather depended on the world set up in The Iron Duke (the first book) to hold the story up. We do get to visit more of the Horde occupied areas when the characters travel to Morocco. Most of the story though concentrates on Archimedes' debt and his efforts to repay it. Yasmeen gets tangeled up in the story when she tries to take off with a valuable daVinci print that Archimedes had acquired. The story also spends a lot of time with Yasmeen and Archimedes trying to learn how to work together while falling for each other and trying not to piss each other off.
The two main characters (Yasmeen and Archimedes) are very well done. Both are charasmatic and engaging characters. They both have interesting and complex backgrounds. I didn't think their relationship was as steamy as the one portrayed between the characters in the Iron Duke, but it was more a relationship of give and take and mutual respect...so I did enjoy that. In some respects their relationship was more realistic than most of the relationships you see in typical romances.
I love this world and enjoyed the characters. I just didn't find the story quite as compelling and the romance between Yasmeen and Archimedes quite as engaging as the story and characters in the Iron Duke. It was still a fun and easy read and I enjoyed it.
Overall a solid addition to this series. Love the world these stories are set in; it is a complicated political world with heavy steampunk elements to it. Yasmeen and Archimedes are interesting and charasmatic characters that were fun to read about. There wasn't as much world building in this book as in the first and I missed that. I also didn't find the romance between Yasmeen and Archimedes to be as compelling as the romance in the first book; but I did like that their relationship was built on mutual respect of each other. If you like romance with some adventure and an interesting steampunk setting this is the book for you. Recommended to steampunk fans and fans of paranormal romance.
Yasmeen had sent Archimedes plunging to his death, or so she thought. She is on her way to convery her condolences to Archimedes' sister and sell a valuable daVinci print when Archmedes shows up again. Someone attacks Yasmeen's airship leaving her destitute. Now Yasmeen and Archimedes are forced to plunge deep into Horde occupied Morocco to right past wrongs. Will they be able to concentrate on their goal and resist the pull to each other?
I love the steampunk feel to this novel and the politically/technologically complicated world that it is set in. I missed that this book didn't expand of the world but rather depended on the world set up in The Iron Duke (the first book) to hold the story up. We do get to visit more of the Horde occupied areas when the characters travel to Morocco. Most of the story though concentrates on Archimedes' debt and his efforts to repay it. Yasmeen gets tangeled up in the story when she tries to take off with a valuable daVinci print that Archimedes had acquired. The story also spends a lot of time with Yasmeen and Archimedes trying to learn how to work together while falling for each other and trying not to piss each other off.
The two main characters (Yasmeen and Archimedes) are very well done. Both are charasmatic and engaging characters. They both have interesting and complex backgrounds. I didn't think their relationship was as steamy as the one portrayed between the characters in the Iron Duke, but it was more a relationship of give and take and mutual respect...so I did enjoy that. In some respects their relationship was more realistic than most of the relationships you see in typical romances.
I love this world and enjoyed the characters. I just didn't find the story quite as compelling and the romance between Yasmeen and Archimedes quite as engaging as the story and characters in the Iron Duke. It was still a fun and easy read and I enjoyed it.
Overall a solid addition to this series. Love the world these stories are set in; it is a complicated political world with heavy steampunk elements to it. Yasmeen and Archimedes are interesting and charasmatic characters that were fun to read about. There wasn't as much world building in this book as in the first and I missed that. I also didn't find the romance between Yasmeen and Archimedes to be as compelling as the romance in the first book; but I did like that their relationship was built on mutual respect of each other. If you like romance with some adventure and an interesting steampunk setting this is the book for you. Recommended to steampunk fans and fans of paranormal romance.
I purchased this book, then read reader comments. Based on less than glowing reviews, I put this one on the back burner. Not necessary tho, it's a fun book.
Ms. Brooks continues world-building her steampunk fantasy. A bit less edgy for Yasmeen and Archimedes than previous installments, but it fits the main characters. Readers already met these characters in The Iron Duke, and are treated to their adventures, mis-adventures, and budding romance.
It's a fun romp, and I particularly like how the characters stay 'in character' throughout the book (so frustrating to have characters change mid-stream). Much more fun to watch them adapt and grow together, rather than unrealistically 'change' midbook. The characterizations are another strength of this book, they are complex and well done (although somewhat non-traditional).
If there's a weakness in this story, it's the ending feels rather abrupt. This book could have easily been half again as long. The plot is moving along nicely, and whammo! The author just kind of stops and wraps up the storyline in a couple pages.
Ms. Brooks continues world-building her steampunk fantasy. A bit less edgy for Yasmeen and Archimedes than previous installments, but it fits the main characters. Readers already met these characters in The Iron Duke, and are treated to their adventures, mis-adventures, and budding romance.
It's a fun romp, and I particularly like how the characters stay 'in character' throughout the book (so frustrating to have characters change mid-stream). Much more fun to watch them adapt and grow together, rather than unrealistically 'change' midbook. The characterizations are another strength of this book, they are complex and well done (although somewhat non-traditional).
If there's a weakness in this story, it's the ending feels rather abrupt. This book could have easily been half again as long. The plot is moving along nicely, and whammo! The author just kind of stops and wraps up the storyline in a couple pages.
Excellent story. Great adventure, plot and chemistry between the main characters. Love the steampunk parts of the story great illusions to what happen to put the Hordes in charge. Can't wait to read the next book.
Brook's writing seems to be getting more cohesive while losing some of the spark that made me fall in love with her earlier books like Demon Angel, Demon Bound, or even the short story that launched her Iron Seas series, "Here There Be Monsters." I appreciated that Heart of Steel read like a well-done action/adventure novel. I liked most of the characters well enough and I recognized that the convoluted story line that has marred some of her earlier works, was not as evident here.
However, I fell in love with Yasmeen and Archimedes in The Iron Duke, and I was expecting some serious friction and heat between these two in their own story. I couldn't wait for their story to come out and even had it delivered on the day of its release via Amazon because I couldn't stomach NOT reading their story as soon as humanely possible. And then I started reading and discovered that they were watered down versions of the hot-tempered, quirky, and danger-loving characters I met in the previous book. If you recall from The Iron Duke, Yasmeen and Archimedes had a hate/love relationship that was fraught with pride, bad temper, and lots of smoldering passion. And then Yasmeem threw Archimedes off her ship and into Zombie infested waters. I couldn't wait for him to return and have a little need for vengeance or for her to be a little pissed that he survived. I don't know, I was expecting fireworks or *anything* but the two of them to meet up several months later with no hard feelings whatsoever. Archimedes announces he's going to fall in love with Yasmeen and she's like, "Whatever! As long as I can jump you occasionally and you don't mess with my authority as Captain of a ship, it's all good." It was just so lukewarm after experiencing their first meeting. There was no effort put into making me believe they fell in love. I wanted to experience the realization along with them, but it's obvious they were in love before the book began and all the good parts happened off screen so to speak.
I'm really disappointed with this book and, though the adventure aspect saved this book from a really poor rating, I can't forgive a romance novel for botching the *romance* portion of the story.
However, I fell in love with Yasmeen and Archimedes in The Iron Duke, and I was expecting some serious friction and heat between these two in their own story. I couldn't wait for their story to come out and even had it delivered on the day of its release via Amazon because I couldn't stomach NOT reading their story as soon as humanely possible. And then I started reading and discovered that they were watered down versions of the hot-tempered, quirky, and danger-loving characters I met in the previous book. If you recall from The Iron Duke, Yasmeen and Archimedes had a hate/love relationship that was fraught with pride, bad temper, and lots of smoldering passion. And then Yasmeem threw Archimedes off her ship and into Zombie infested waters. I couldn't wait for him to return and have a little need for vengeance or for her to be a little pissed that he survived. I don't know, I was expecting fireworks or *anything* but the two of them to meet up several months later with no hard feelings whatsoever. Archimedes announces he's going to fall in love with Yasmeen and she's like, "Whatever! As long as I can jump you occasionally and you don't mess with my authority as Captain of a ship, it's all good." It was just so lukewarm after experiencing their first meeting. There was no effort put into making me believe they fell in love. I wanted to experience the realization along with them, but it's obvious they were in love before the book began and all the good parts happened off screen so to speak.
I'm really disappointed with this book and, though the adventure aspect saved this book from a really poor rating, I can't forgive a romance novel for botching the *romance* portion of the story.
3 Stars...Slightly disappointed with this installment.
I liked the characters, the settings, the amount of action, yet overall the story fell flat for me. It probably had something to do with the romance being drug out until the final moments of the book, which then just ended abruptly. Don't get me wrong, disregarding any romantic expectations, this was an action packed read. Readers of the series will most likely enjoy it, although I found it lacking. My favorite thing about the book was Yasmeen, I loved her character.
I liked the characters, the settings, the amount of action, yet overall the story fell flat for me. It probably had something to do with the romance being drug out until the final moments of the book, which then just ended abruptly. Don't get me wrong, disregarding any romantic expectations, this was an action packed read. Readers of the series will most likely enjoy it, although I found it lacking. My favorite thing about the book was Yasmeen, I loved her character.
Not as good as The Iron Duke. But OK.
